Aurora Health Care among nation’s best health systems

MILWAUKEE, Wis. Aurora Health Care ranks among the top 50 health systems in the United States, according to a study of clinical performance by Thomson Reuters.

Researchers from the Thomson Reuters 100 Top Hospitals program analyzed the quality and efficiency of 252 health systems and found statistically significant differences between top and bottom performers in several key areas. The best-performing health systems had 25% lower mortality, 19% fewer medical complications and 13% fewer patient safety incidents, even though their patients were sicker and their average hospital stays were significantly shorter.

All U.S. health systems with two or more short-term, general, nonfederal hospitals were assessed. Researchers looked at five metrics that gauge clinical quality and efficiency: mortality, medical complications, patient safety, average length of stay and adherence to clinical standards of care (evidence-based core measures published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services).The study relied on public data from the 2006 and 2007 Medicare Provider Analysis and Review and the CMS Hospital Compare data sets.

Aurora Health Care has sites in more than 90 communities throughout eastern Wisconsin, including 13 hospitals, more than 100 clinics and over 110 community pharmacies.

Walgreens opens its second LEED drug store

DEERFIELD, Ill. One of the nation’s largest drug store chains will celebrate the grand opening of the first drug store in Illinois to meet top environmental requirements for efficiency and design.

The new store in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood, near the intersection of California and Diversey, is designed to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards – a certification granted only by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The Logan Square Walgreens is registered under the LEED Green Building Rating System. It will be reviewed by the USGBC and given a specific level of certification in four to six months.

The Logan Square Walgreens, nestled in an urban area right off the Kennedy Expressway, features a “green roof” with plants growing on it. The roof also has a white coating to help reduce heating and cooling costs. The store will save nearly 34,000 gallons of water a year with efficient water fixtures. During construction, 85% of waste was diverted from landfills. The site was a brownfield which was cleaned up and redeveloped for this project. Coolers, freezers and exterior signs all use LED lights, reducing energy use by 50% over fluorescent lighting. The store will save enough electricity to power more than five homes a year. In addition, there is special parking for hybrid vehicles, bike racks and nearby public transportation.

“It may look like a regular Walgreens from the outside, but once you take a closer look it really is green from the ground up,” said Walgreens district manager Steven DiLullo. “Customers can find informational signs inside that highlight these features so they can feel good about what we’re doing and where they shop.”

Walgreens officials and guests marked the grand opening of this eco-drugstore with a tree planting ceremony at 10 a.m. Wednesday, followed by a store tour.

This is the second LEED-registered Walgreens to open. The first opened in June in Mira Mesa, Calif. The next LEED registered Walgreens store is planned to open in Normal, Ill., early next year with two more locations to follow. The company’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint also include the use of solar panel systems on 74 of its locations in California, Connecticut, New Jersey and Oregon. For more information on Walgreens green efforts and commitment to corporate social responsibility, visit www.walgreens.com/responsibility.

Bro-mantic comedy ‘I Love You, Man’ comes to DVD, Blu-ray

LOS ANGELES, Calif. Paramount Home Entertainment invites you to make a man-date for one of this year’s biggest comedy hits.

“I Love You, Man” debuts on DVD and Blu-ray. Paul Rudd (Role Models, Knocked Up) and Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) star in a story of a guy with no male friends who finds himself in need of a best man. After a series of awkward outings, Peter (Rudd) finally bonds with fun-loving Sydney (Segel). Rudd and Segel’s “bro-mance” takes male-bonding to hilarious new heights in a story that comically explores what it truly means to be a friend.

“I Love You, Man” DVD and Blu-ray presentations include commentary by director John Hamburg (writer, Meet The Parents, Zoolander) and starsPaul Rudd and Jason Segel, The Making of “I Love You, Man,” 50 minutes of hilarious outtakes, deleted and extended scenes and a gag reel.

Both discs include the following special features, in high definition on Blu-ray as noted:

The Making of I Love You, Man (HD) – An 18-minute feature with cast interviews and a special look behind-the-scenes of the film’s most outrageous moment

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